Thousands Killed By Miasma

Forget that swine flu outbreak a moment — we've already got a more deadly airborne threat. An assessment by the London Assembly's environmental wing claims that the capital's air quality causes 2,905 deaths each year — a suspiciously accurate figure, and three times the government's official level — and perhaps "many thousands" more. Every day we're huffing in high levels of nitrogen dioxide, fine particulates and ground-level ozone, which can help cause or aggravate pre-existing heart and lung diseases. The Campaign for Clean Air in London (CCAL) is calling on the government to clarify the situation and consider measures to tackle the problem. In the meantime, we recommend you hold your breath for five minutes each morning to give your lungs a fighting chance.